Kitchen utensil.



PATENTED MAR. 17, 1908.

A. KOEPPBN.

KITCHEN UTBNSIL.

APPLICATION FILED APR.15, 1907.

ffwezz/iar 5. New York,

A L BERT KOEPPLN,

OE BUFFA LO, NEW YORK.

KITCHEN UTENSIL.

( Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March i7, 1908.

Application filed April 15, 1907. Serial No. 888,205.

To all whom it may concern: 1

Be it known that I, ALBERT Kosrrnx, a citizen of the United States,residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of have invented anew and useful Improvement in Kitchen Utensils, of which the followingis a specification.

This invention relates more particularly to combined stove-lid orgriddle and utensil lifters.

The object of the invention is to provide a combined lifter of thischaracter of simple and inexpensive constructionysilnilar in general aearanoe to the well known stove-lid or gri fffle lifter, and which canbe used for -"ii'fting cooking utensils of various shapes and sizes, thedevice being so constructed that the utensil can be firmly grasped andheld between the clam in jaws of the lifter and moved or lifted w ietier or not suchutensil is provided with the usual edge head or flange.

A further object of the invention is to so construct the lifter that themovable lampingrod, when not in use, will remain in its rctractedposition, close to the body of the lifter, so not to interfere with theuse of the device for lifting lids or griddles, and when extended to betL')I)li(-ll to a utensil, will tend to remain in such extended positionso that the lifter can be readily engaged with the side of the utensilpreparatory to lifting the same.

in the accomp nying drawings: Figure l is a longitudinal sectional viewof a 'combined stove-lid and utensil lifter embodying the invention,showing by solid lines the clamping rod extended ready to be applied tothe side of a utensil, and by broken lines the retracted position of theclamping rod. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the lifter in liftingposition, on the side of a utensil. Fig] 3 is a front elevation. of thelifter. Fig. 4 is a cross section of the same, in line 4 4, Fig. 1.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the siweral figures.

A represents the handle or body of the combined stove-lid and utensillifter, provided with a. downwardly curved portion at the end of whichis a projci'lil'm or foot l3 adapted lo engage with the usual lugs onthe stovwlids or rriddlcs'for liftin the same."

The foot l3 corresponds in size and shape to the foot of the ordinarystovehd lifters. Stationary lugs or aws t. C project upwardly andforwardly from the curved portion of the l the foot B and the l l l lhandle A, at opposite sides thereof and a short distance above the footB. The jaws are preferably of the triangular sha )0 shown and diverge orflare apart upwarrhy s01ne what, as shown in Fig. 3.

D represents a movable clamping rod provided at its outer or. front endwith a hook or clamping jaw d which is adapted to engage the inner sideof a ute nsil and clamp the same against the stationary jaws C C. Thisclamping; rod D passes loosely through a hole (Z in the handle A whichacts as a guide for the same, and is pivotally connected at its innerend to an operating lever E which in turn is pivoted at the underside ofthe handle A on a pin or rivet e connecting lugs (I a de pending fromopposite sides of i116 handle, or in any other suitable manner. Theouter end of the lever has a flat linger portion adapted to be engagedby the fore-finger of the hand grasping the handle of the lifter, foroperating the lever. The inner end of the lever preferably extendsbeyond the pivot and is provided with flat or cam end faces e 0 see Fig.1, arranged at an angle to each other.

any other desired manner, and its free end bears against one or theother of these end faces a and 1' of the lever l) The angle of the twofaces to each of her is such that when the lover I) is in position tohold the clamping rod 1 in its retracted position, the spring F boarsflat against the end face e as shown in broken lines in Fig. 1, uni fwhen the lover is moved to advance the clamping rod to its extendedposition, the spring in turn bears flat against the other end face (4,as shown in solid lines in Fig. 1. By this means the movable clampingrod or jaw is held stationary in either.position. The pressure of thespring, however while normally holding the lpfor in either its forwardor rearward position,'is not sufficient to interfere with the readymovement thereof in either direction when pressure is applied to thefinger portion of the lever arm.

ln usinp the device for lifting pans, dishes, or other utensils, thelinger lever is advanced to move the clamping; jaw into its forwardposition, where it is held by the spring F. The lifter is then placed inposition over the edge of the utensil tobe lifted in such a manner that.the movable clamping jaw d extends downwardly within the dish while nigsC C rest against the A flat spring l is secured to they under-side ofthe handle A by lugs], or m ling er lever E is bllf, Cr nping rod .1dish firmly between the stationary jaw/s men he readily lifted, 'nst theside of the ti inrry jaws and forming at ruin point for the handle ofthe lifter.

ii the utensil is pmvided with head or flange, the holder is placed so.that the slatioi'niry jaws C will engage the side of the utensildireetlyhenenth this flange, thus 0htziining a firm grip and, wvoidi ngthe danger of thelugs slippinp'froin the side. Snchu rim or flange,however I1Hl-Ii0(f(".1-if-lill fortheopemtien of the de for the reasonthat, :is the s ionery jaws I 1'.) are spzu-r-d apart and, the nievnhlejaw he on the wall of the utensil he'tweei'i the v cnl planes of thestationary j; and nhove the foot ll. :1 four point eng geinent of thelifter with the utensil is secured, giving :1. ve lirin and IQlillldu ipfor lifting the {'LfUllrl in such it case, itis neeessmry to exert itsomewhat greater ferce en. the finger lever l) in order that the side ofthe utensil may he gripped firmly, and. it is side thereof. 11 operated.t0 elmnp the the movable I I C C. The utensil the foot re same below the.4

also advise-hie ihat the stationnny jaws {l (l should engage the side ofthe utensil as lair below the up dge thereof as the dumping rod willpern to prevent the jaws from slipping over 1 .J edge'of the utensil invase sullicient forre should not he at first applied to the elarnplinger lever to hold the utensil iirmly. l he four point contact of thejaws and f the lifter with the utensil n firm grip is Ained Without thepinehii and hendingz' .2 the metal, which freqlientfv results when theside of the utensil (lumped between d ctiy opposiin arms, and the ortilt sidewise hetween utensil cannot re the clamping 3?. .v The litteris of ample and compact conl l V l s l sti'nction. The handle With itslid-lifting foo and jaws (.3 C eon he east in one piece and the leverind ehnnping' red can be inside and secured thereto with comparativelylittle worl ,-.so shot the lifter can be cheaply and economicallymanufactured.

l. claim as my invention:

l. in a, (omhinod lid and utensil lifter, a shank having at its end alid-engaging feet, spliced opposite lugs projeeting upwardly from said.shrink in the rear of and spaced from said foot whereby a stationaryutensilengaging aw is rovided having three beerin; ilflillb and n iii-wineinl'ier 'n'iovably mounted on said shank and lnwing an engaging pin-topposed to said stationary at a point hetvw :11 its three hearingpoints, substz'intiz'illy as set forth.

2. in :1. lifter of the character described, a shank having a.ilownwarilly-extending portion provided at its end with n lid-engagingfoot, spaced opposite lugs projecting upwardly from saiddownwerdly-extending portion of said shank in the rear of and spacedfrom said. foot wl'ierehy a stationary utensil-engaging jaw is providedhaving three hearing points, a clamping rod having a sliding hearing onsaid downwardlyextending portion-of said shank and extending beyond. thesame, a utensil engaging jaw on the forward and. of said rod in advanceofamd opposed to said stationary jitw at a point he tween its threehearing points, and means at the rear end of said red for operating thesome, substantially as forth.

ALBERT KOEPPEN.

llitnesses:

G. Dinosn, E. C. llAm).

